The Wonderful World Book Day!

The Wonderful World Book Day!

This blog post is part of a series that features the new students from the VisionsGlobal partnershipAfter a huge amount of work, FEDU is proud to announce our partnership with VisionsGlobal! We are launching new projects and students, all of whom need your help. Please visit fedu.org/contribute_________________________________________________________________________________

This past week was World Book Day, one of my favorite days of the year.

World Book Day is special for a few reasons, the first being the most obvious: Books are AWESOME!

The ability to absorb information in an clear and understandable way that is available to everyone has world changing consequences. The printing press is in many ways responsible for the information age that we live in today. Taking time to remember how important books are to our society, even when we read predominantly on screens, is truly time well spent. For all of you struggling to find the significance of the book like I do in todays digital society, just ask yourself what you will be doing this Sunday evening. If the answer is watching Game of Thrones, then yes, books are still very relevant.

The more subtle reason that I find World Book Day to be so fantastic is unity it brings to our vast world. FEDU is engaging in projects all over the world, and despite the ability to jump over continents with the press of a Skype button, the distance still feels huge. Books though convey information in a way that allows the simultaneous, or asymmetric, access of the same information. I can be reading about development and education, and 8 thousand miles away, someone on the FEDU India team could be reading the same book. There is a shared experience, a linking, that allows people to interact after having read a book, regardless of their background, their status, their income, or even location.

Suntharaganthi is working very hard to become yet another person who will become an active member of the global book club we call receiving a higher education. From one book fanatic to another, welcome!

Suntharaganthi’s father struggles to support her family on the income he earns as a day laborer. His employment provides only sporadic work, making her school fees difficult to afford. Suntharaganthi, however, is determined to achieve a higher education and receive her degree in Arts & Sciences. Her degree will help her support her family and secure her own future.